This volume addresses the controversial nature of the relationship between science and environmental law. Much as politicians might wish otherwise, environmental decisions cannot be made solely by a scientific analysis of the situation, since they ultimately involve political choices, frequently between fundamentally divided interests. There is an increasingly apparent tension between the need for independent expert input, in technical areas such as cost benefit assessment as well as in the natural sciences, and adequate public involvement. The second part of this volume looks at the area of waste, in particular the Landfill Directive and the End-of-Life Vehicles Directive and their implementation in Italy and the UK. These essays demonstrate very clearly that waste regulation is far from a simple technical or scientific issue, but is capable of provoking serious political and cultural questions.
This volume includes contributions from some of Europe’s leading commentators in this area, from diverse professional and national backgrounds.